


On a Whim

by RegalLove2



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Outlaw Queen - Fandom, Regina Mills - Fandom, robin hood - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:34:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29435412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RegalLove2/pseuds/RegalLove2
Summary: Love from OQ 2021 entry: When Robin notices the beautiful woman in the window of a fancy restaurant is being stood up on Valentine’s Day, he decides to help her save face.I hate writing summaries, I’m so bad at it! But I hope you like this.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29
Collections: Love From OQ





	On a Whim

**Author's Note:**

> I hope everyone enjoys my gift this year! Especially @KirstJk212 ! I had no idea if you’ve read my stories or not and I wasn’t sure what you’d like so I went with an idea prompted to me by a friend. 
> 
> This story was my friend Makailas idea!

The first couple of months in the beginning of a new year are always the hardest. There’s the typical seasonal depression following Christmas and the expectations of resolutions that will most-likely be broken within a week. That, and she’s never been a fan of pink. So the moment all of the stores trade out the red and green lights for _everything_ pink and purple, her holiday spirit just diminishes. It’s always been that way. 

And the fact that she’s single doesn’t have anything to do with it. 

So she has a standing date with herself every single February Fourteenth. And she’s perfectly happy with the little tradition she’s created for herself. 

At least a week before the dreaded _holiday,_ she’ll go grab a bottle or two of wine from the store. Going early is the most efficient way to avoid the knowing looks and eager boyfriends that are frantically last minute shopping. And when she gets home, she’ll eat far too much chocolate and watch a cheesy rom-com. It’s not the most glamorous thing in the world but she’s happy with it. She is. 

Which is why she has no interest in being set up for a blind date on the night in question. A fact that she’s told Mary repeatedly and emphatically. 

But her friend is nothing if not persistent and Regina has never seen her beg before. So when Mary tells her that this mystery man has managed to get a reservation at one of the most exclusive restaurants in town, she hesitates just a little. And that gives her friend all the room she needs to break down the wall she’s put up. 

“He’s gorgeous, Regina. And kind. He’s a surgeon and he volunteers with dogs.” She’s good at sales, Regina will give her that. 

Except- “You know I’m more of a cat person.” 

It’s a flimsy excuse and it only takes Mary two seconds to point that fact out. So despite her best efforts, she finds herself with a date on Valentines day. 

She hates herself for caving-something she is reminded of every single second since she not so willingly agreed. And that’s about what she’s feeling at the moment as she stands in front of her mirror and frowns at her reflection. 

How is she supposed to pick something to wear when she’s never laid eyes on the man in question? She’s got no idea what he expects. She’s torn between a 7 and a 9 on the fancy scale and can’t decide which dress to wear. And then she wonders why she cares so much. She didn’t even want to go on this date in the first place. That’s the thought that has her throwing both options on the bed and opting for a slim black dress that makes _her_ feel good. She doesn’t need to impress anyone. 

____

Even though it’s technically acceptable to be fashionably late, she can’t ever bring herself to do so. She’s _always_ on time. Better yet, she’s alway _early._ So when she walks up to the restaurant thirty minutes before they’re supposed to meet, she glances around looking for something to keep her occupied for a little while. Directly across the street, she spots a coffee shop and she reluctantly makes her way in that direction, pulling her coat tighter around her. 

It’s cute and cozy, just warm enough to ease away the goosebumps that were popping up on her skin. She orders a small tea and sits at a little table near a window, opting for one that’s just far enough away from the door to keep out the evening chill when someone enters. 

The cafe isn’t particularly packed, there are only a couple of other people sitting inside. So it’s quiet enough. Pulling out the book she always keeps in her bag, she tunes out the world around her and starts reading. 

_________

Even though he’s a romantic at heart, he’s never truly understood the appeal of valentines day. His parents have been happily married for thirty years and never once celebrated the holiday. As far as he’s concerned, one should not need a specific day on the calendar to remind someone that they are loved. It’s just another ideal that society imbends in the consumer to promote sales. 

But despite his indifference toward the holiday, he still feels the loneliness that comes with not having anyone to share his evening with. 

So he leaves work and heads to his favorite cafe to grade papers before he goes home and drinks too much to do so. 

He’s sitting at a booth by the window, half the essays in the finished pile and the other half growing more daunting with each page he reads. Ninth graders are _not_ great writers and he’s tired of looking up the new slang words some of them have decided to use. 

He’s in between papers when he feels the cold air brush past him and he see’s _her_ walk in. And he can’t help but stare, essays long forgotten. He can tell by her attire that she’s going somewhere much fancier than this so it comes as a bit of a surprise when she sits down a couple booths away from him. The fact that she’s now mostly obstructed from his view is the only thing that directs his attention back to the papers in front of him.

But he can’t focus on them. 

He’s just re-reading the same page over and over again. And he continues to do so until she leaves just a little while later. His eyes follow her until she disappears into a crowd and he forces himself to get through just a few more of the dreaded essays in front of him before going home.

_________

She doesn’t actually head to the restaurant until twenty minutes later. She’s still a few minutes early but she’s always early. 

When she walks in, she gives the hostess the name of her date and the woman leads her to a cozy table along the window. The table is adorned with a candle, vase of roses, and wine glasses at the ready. The atmosphere is very fitting for the holiday and she’s happy to have the view of the street to distract her from the wandering eyes of couples as she waits for her date.

She’s itching to pull out her book again but she resists the urge, turning toward the window and watching the people shuffling down the streets. Her eyes wander to the little coffee shop she was sitting at just moments ago and she smiles, making a mental note to go back someday. There’s a man sitting a few tables away from where she’d been that catches her attention. She can’t tell what he’s doing. Reading, maybe. But even from afar, she can tell that he’s focused. She wonders if he was there when she was but she’s never been terribly observant. 

Checking her watch, she sighs. 6:30. It’s officially time and her date has yet to make an appearance. And as someone who values being on time, this is already strike one. 

Another couple minutes go by and she gives into the urge to pull her book back out. She’s not going to sit and twiddle her thumbs while the judgy couple to her right keeps glancing at her. 

It’s six thirty-seven when a waitress approaches. She’s a short girl, twenty five years old, tops. “Hello, I’m Tink and I’ll be serving you tonight. Can I start you off with anything to drink?”

She hesitates for just a second but ultimately goes with a safe answer. “Not yet, thank you. I’m waiting for someone.”

“No worries at all, I’ll check back in a bit.” The woman smiles softly at her and leaves.

She’s embarrassed. She doesn’t have a reason to be, not yet anyway. But she is. 

Pulling out her phone, she checks her messages. She’s not entirely sure why, she hasn’t actually communicated with this man. When a couple more minutes go by and he still hasn’t shown, she sends Mary a text telling her that he’s late and puts her phone back in her bag.

Her book is not doing a good job distracting her.

________

He’s gotten through as many essays as he can stomach for the evening. So despite the fact that he’s got a fresh cup of coffee in front of him, he starts packing up. Reaching for his bag on the booth next to him, he glances out the window briefly. 

His eye catches something and his head jerks back up, eyes searching. It’s her. She’s sitting in the window at that fancy restaurant across the street. Her coat is hanging on the back of her chair, hair hanging on the other side of her face as she looks down at something on the table. But she’s sitting alone.

Setting his bag back down next to him, he settles into the booth and takes a sip of his coffee, glancing in her direction again. 

When she checks her watch, he can’t help but look at his own. It has to have been at least twenty minutes since she walked out of this cafe. And yet, she’s alone. He looks away, determined not to continue staring. He’s curious though and he feels drawn to her. Packing up his things, he sets his coffee cup aside and gets up to leave. As curious as he is, it’s none of his business and he can’t stare at her all night. 

He takes one more sip of his coffee and grabs his coat, resisting the urge to glance back out the window. Once his coat is snug around his shoulders and his scarf is wrapped tightly around his neck, he throws his satchel over his arm and heads toward the door. 

There’s a big crowd waiting to cross the street so he has to wait two cycles of the light for his turn. Not that he minds, he’s not in any particular rush. It just so happens that he has to walk past the very window he’d seen her sitting in moments earlier and this time, he can’t resist looking in her direction as he passes. 

He frowns at the sight. 

She’s checking her watch _again._ He doesn’t know her but he can see the defeat, the conflicted look that crosses her features when she does so. 

Before he can overthink it, he walks to the door and pulls it open. He’s got no idea what he’s doing and he most certainly isn’t dressed for a restaurant this nice but that doesn’t stop him. He’s greeted by a young woman with a kind smile asking for a reservation name and he says the first thing that comes into his head. 

“My date is already here, I’m afraid I’m very late.” And he walks past her quickly, heading in the direction of the beautiful stranger sitting by herself.  
_______

It’s getting ridiculous. She should leave. She _would_ leave if it weren’t for the sheer embarrassment of having sat here for nearly thirty minutes now. But she is contemplating it. Maybe if she goes to the bathroom, she can sneak out unnoticed. She’s going to kill Mary. 

She checks her watch for the hundredth time and frowns. Thirty five minutes late now. 

When a full glass of red wine is placed in front of her, she glances up at the bright green eyes of her waitress. 

Tink gives her a sad smile. “It’s on the house.”

She’s about to respond when a man walks swiftly up to the table. His cheeks are red from the cold air and his hair has a few stray flakes of snow that have yet to melt. He looks somewhat frantic as he takes off his coat and smiles down at her. “I am so sorry I’m late.” He looks very vaguely familiar.

The waitress steps to the side, sad smile slowly fading away as she looks between them before she excuses herself and walks away, giving him the space to settle in. 

She watches the girl walk away before she even acknowledges his presence. She’s mad. Mad and embarrassed and quite frankly, she’s got no interest in finishing a date with a person that left her sitting alone all this time. If it weren’t for her pride, she’d get up and walk out. But she’s stuck around this long and she’ll get through it. She won’t be nice about it though. “Late? That’s an understatement.”

“I’m sorry about that.” He nods his head as he finally sits down. Then, he holds out his hand across the table. “I’m Robin.”

“What?” Her brows furrow, anxiety creeping back up. “I’m supposed to be meeting Graham. I think you’ve got the wrong girl.”

“I know I’m not the date you were expecting but whatever guy stood you up is a bloody idiot.”

Suddenly she feels defensive and confused all at once. Her arms cross over her chest and her eyebrows shoot up, giving him a challenging look. “How did-”

“I saw you from across the street.” He points toward the cafe. “I was grading papers and I when I left and saw you were still alone…” He sighs. “First dates are always rough and Valentine’s day comes with so many expectations. I’ve been stood up before and it sucks. I wanted to help.”

Slowly uncrossing her arms, she looks away from him and back out the window. “I don’t know whether I should feel more humiliated or offended.” She realizes that he’s the man she’d seen in the window earlier and she shivers. He’s a complete stranger and yet he could tell. How many others silently judged?

“I hope that you don’t feel either of those things.” He waits for her to look back at him. “I didn’t mean to offend and you’ve got no reason to be humiliated. It happens to the best of us. And it was a blind date, yeah? So he didn’t know what he was missing out on.” His face scrunches. “That came out wrong.”

She can’t help but chuckle slightly at his messy compliment. Leaning forward, she picks up the glass of wine that the waitress brought over and she takes a little sip. “I-”

The blonde girl appears again with two glasses of water. “Can I get you two anything to start out with? We have a few specials tonight but the most popular seems to be the fresh bruschetta toast.”

The two at the table exchange a look and she can tell that he’s silently asking if she’d like to order anything or if she’s going to come up with some sort of excuse to bow out of this unorthodox evening. But something in his eyes has her curious. So she turns toward the waitress and smiles. “The bruschetta sounds lovely, thank you.”

The woman nods, “I’ll go put that in for you, Let me know if you’d like anything else.”

They both watch her walk away and then she turns to him again. “Do you have somewhere to be?”

He shakes his head. “Not at all.”

She hesitates. “Then how about we start over?” 

“Might as well, eh?” He reaches his hand back across the table and holds it out to her. “Robin Locksley.” 

She takes his hand this time, shaking it once before dropping hers back to her lap. “Regina Mills, nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too.” The smile he gives her is big and bright. “I hear that it’s nearly impossible to get a reservation here.” 

“This may sound horrible but it’s one of the only reasons I agreed to go on this date in the first place.” She leans forward a little. “I’m not a big fan of Valentine’s Day or blind dates.”

“Me neither. This holiday feels so superficial.” He mimics her posture, leaning closer onto the table. “I may be old school but I don’t think you should need a reminder to do something special every now and again.”

She can feel the smile spread across her face. “I completely agree. I never understood the appeal and I don’t prefer the chaos. If I had my way, I would’ve been home watching some cheesy movie right about now.” 

He smirks. “That was my plan for the evening. Though I did plan on indulging in a few drinks as well.”

“Well that’s a given.” She reaches for her glass and tips it toward him.

By the time their appetizer arrives and they place their orders, every bit of anxiousness she’d felt earlier has dissipated. She’s actually having a good time. It’s strange. A part of her feels like she should be more worried, this is a complete stranger sitting across from her. But then again, Graham wasn’t much different. The only difference is that Mary knew Graham. Even then, it’s pretty clear that her friend isn’t a great judge of character if she’d set her up with a man that didn’t even bother to show up. 

So maybe she should just enjoy an evening with the handsome man across from her. He has made her laugh at least. 

_________

They both grow a little quiet when they get their food and it’s the first time since he sat down that there hasn’t been steady conversation. And he finds that even the silence with her is nice. 

So he’s not entirely sure what makes him ask but he can’t contain his curiosity. “Why did you wait so long? Surely the man you were supposed to meet isn’t worthy of your time.”

He can see her expression change as she looks down at her pasta and swirls her fork around a little. “I thought about leaving. It’s all I thought about the entire time, actually.” Placing her fork down, she glances out the window and sighs. She’s beautiful. He would be lying if he said that her beauty didn't have something to do with him deciding to join her for dinner in the first place. He's pleased to admit that it's no longer the only factor in his decision making for the evening. In the short time that he's been talking to her, he's smiled more than he has in the last couple of months. He's a romantic at heart but never thought himself to be very brave.. At least not lately.. So, he's got no idea what possessed him to do something so bold. 

But he's glad that he did. 

He may not believe in the festivities that center around valentine’s day but even he can admit that this is a far better way to spend his evening. So he sits and waits, lets her think about her answer and admires her profile in the candle light coming off their table.

When she looks back at him, it’s with a soft smile. “I don’t usually pay much attention to my surroundings. It’s a bad habit of mine but, I tend to get lost in my own little world.” Leaning forward, she fiddles with the stem of her wine glass. “Because of this, I’ve never really cared about how I appeared to those around me.” Finally, she meets his eyes and smiles softly. “But tonight, I’ve been acutely aware of the stares and pitying looks from everyone in this restaurant. And while my brain told me that it didn’t matter and I didn’t even want to go on this date in the first place, my pride couldn’t stomach the embarrassment.” 

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she brings her wine to her lips and takes a small sip. “If it weren’t for Mr. and Mrs. PDA over there,” She moves her eyes to the right, subtly pointing out the obnoxious couple that hasn’t taken their hands off one another since she walked in. “If it weren’t for them, I probably would’ve walked out. I was weighing my options when you walked in.” She looks over at them again and rolls her eyes before turning back toward the window. “But the truth is… I’ve wanted to try this place for ages and leaving after being so obviously stood up today of _all_ days.. I don’t think I would’ve been able to ever show my face in here again.”

He can tell that she’s grown a little more serious with her answer and though he relates completely, he feels the need to lighten the mood a little. So after he gives her an understanding smile, he looks over at the couple in question again and chuckles. “They’re insufferable, aren’t they?”

She laughs. “Very. It’s like they’re competing for the most in-love couple award.”

He shrugs, “Looks more like lust to me. The public room full of strangers is only barely keeping them from finishing the deed.”

She nearly spits out her wine at that, holding back her laughter as much as possible until she’s safely swallowed the sip she’d just taken. She doesn’t get the opportunity to respond though, they’re interrupted by their waitress asking if they’d like anything for desert. 

He looks at her again, both of them trying to keep a straight face and not give away their previous conversation. And he finds that he doesn’t want the evening to end. So he asks, “Actually, would you like to go somewhere else for dessert? I know a great little ice cream shop not far from here.”

To his blatant surprise, she agrees. 

————-

Regina is pleasantly surprised at how lovely the evening has turned out. And while she’s not thrilled that she was stood up in the first place, by the end of their dinner she is convinced that Robin has made a better date then the man she was originally intended to have dinner with anyway. 

So when he asks her if she’d like to go somewhere else for dessert, she can’t help but agree. 

She likes him. Far more than she should considering the circumstances.

The blonde waitress smiles at the two of them. “Are you sure I can’t get you anything to-go?” Then she leans in a little closer and whispers, “On the house.”

“Wine and dessert on the house? I’m starting to think we’re getting special treatment.” Regina jokes as she glances at Tink. 

“You are actually.” Tink just laughs. “I’m not supposed to tell you this but… you see… my co-workers and I have a running bet every year.” She looks around and steps closer to their table, lowering her voice a little more. “We all try to pick out the most obnoxious couple before they’re seated. The winner gets to choose the least high maintenance table to gift with a free meal. I won.” She smirks. “Though I think I had an unfair advantage this year. I’ve never seen a more obvious choice.” She rolls her eyes and glances over her shoulder at the two that have been making everyone uncomfortable all night. “I’m sure you understand that Valentine’s isn’t an easy holiday to work in the restaurant industry. We’re all thankful for couples that make it a little less brutal. So dinner is on us tonight.” 

She’s shocked. And as she exchanges a look with Robin, she can tell he is too. 

Her evening went from dreaded to embarrassing, then bearable to enjoyable. Now, she’s downright speechless. 

“That’s… very kind. I suppose.” Then she chuckles. “I’m not really sure what to say.”

“Well if dinner is covered then I most definitely need to buy dessert.” The man across from her laughs and then turns to the waitress again. “And for what it’s worth, I commend you on your service. Those two have been at it all night. I can’t imagine having to actually talk to them.”

Tink grins. “There’s always at least one. I wish someone would put them in their place. All they seem to care about is making everyone else around them think that they are the most in love.” She rolls her eyes again. “It’s sickening.”

“Agreed.” Both Robin and Regina say at the same time. Then all three of them laugh. 

“Well it’s been lovely serving you two this evening. You make a beautiful couple.” Tink smiles widely. “Thank you for making my life easy. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.”

And then she’s walking away before either of them have a chance to respond.

For a moment, they share dumbfounded looks.

He speaks up first. “That was…. odd.”

Nodding her head in agreement, she sighs and looks around the restaurant. “Look…. it was very nice of you to save me from the embarrassment of being stood up. But we don’t have to pretend we’re a real couple. You don’t owe me anything.”

“I’m aware.” He follows her gaze. “I know I wasn’t what you were expecting when you walked into this evening. But I enjoyed this. I had every intention of paying for your dinner and asking you out for dessert either way. So… seeing as we just had a gourmet meal that easily would’ve cost me a hundred bucks, I think it’s only fair that I take you out for some ice cream.” 

Biting her lip, she tries to hide her smile. She wants to go. She wants to enjoy the rest of their night and she finds that for the first time in years, she actually feels attracted to someone. She was just worried that this was all a pity date. But she gave him an out and he didn’t take it. So she agrees. As soon as she finishes the last few sips of her wine, they’ll go. It’s free alcohol after all, she doesn’t want to waste it. 

As she’s downing the last sip, she sees him shifting in his seat and pulling his wallet from his pocket. Tilting her head curiously, she watches as he pulls a few bills from inside and drops them on the table. And for the hundredth time that evening, she smiles. 

He’s leaving a tip. She was already planning on doing the same. When he catches her eye, he shrugs. “She had to put up with that mess,” he motions to the right and noticed for the first time that the annoying couple is finally gone. “I figured I could at least leave her a tip. Wish I had more cash actually.” 

She looks down at the table and makes out a twenty, ten, and five dollar bill. It’s a big tip even if they had paid their bill but still, she feels compelled to add a bit on her own. So she reaches into her purse and throws another fifteen bucks onto the stack and stands up. “She deserves it.”

The smile he gives her is big and bright as he stands, too. He rounds the table and helps her into her coat-ever the gentleman it seems. And then they head for the door. The entire way there, she can feel his hand on her back. 

————

He’s mesmerized by the woman standing next to him. He has been since she walked into the coffee shop hours ago, if he’s being honest. 

When she agreed to have dessert with him, he was ecstatic. 

He’s not sure how the rocky start to her evening or the odd way in which they met will affect the remainder of the night but he knows one thing- he likes her. If this were any other date, he probably wouldn’t be half as nervous as he’s feeling right now. But she’s different and considering she wasn’t even his date to begin with, he’s a mess inside. 

Live music rings in his ears as they near the ice cream shop. The park has been transformed, it seems. Lights dangle from the trees and couples are dancing to the band playing in the open space. 

So when they do make it to the shop and order their treats, taking their dessert to go seems like a no-brainer. They walk side by side back toward the music and find a little bench far enough away from the crowd to enjoy their dessert in peace but close enough to hear the music and watch the couples dancing. 

When the band starts playing a Latin song, he can see her perk up a little. “I used to dance to songs like this with my father when I was a little girl.” 

He smiles and stands, “let’s dance then.”

“Oh… I don’t-“

“Regina?” He bows dramatically and holds his hand out in her direction. “May I please have this dance?”

The giggle she lets out is positively adorable, even though she very clearly tries to hide it.

Reluctantly, she takes his hand and lets him lead her toward the other dancing couples. 

———— 

She doesn’t dance very often. It’s been so long that she can’t even remember the last time someone asked her to dance. It’s why she’s so nervous now holding his hand and standing so close. But she’d be lying if she said that she didn’t like the feeling of butterflies that has been growing in her stomach since he sat at her table. 

So they dance. 

The first song was a latin one and was a little bit faster than the majority of the songs the band played since they’ve arrived. After that, most of the song choices are pretty common. Love songs that fit the theme of Valentine’s Day very well. Much slower and intimate. And by default, a little awkward for two people who hardly know each other. Despite that, neither of them pull away.

In fact, both of them seem pretty comfortable just taking in the music. The silence between them is comfortable. Far more comfortable than one would think in the current situation. But she finds that she is comfortable with him. And that in and of itself is odd for her.

When the song starts to change again, she takes that as a good opportunity for a break. And as they make their way back over to their bench, they exchange a look that has her heart fluttering in her chest. 

Walking into the date she’d had planned, she never expected this outcome. Her night played out like something in a movie and she still couldn’t believe this happened to her. 

She feels free and happy for the first time in a long time. And she has a handsome stranger to thank for it.

So when he asks her to meet him at the coffee shop the following morning and practically insists on escorting her to the train at least, she agrees to both. Because it’s been so long since she even wanted to go on a date, much less a second one. 

And when it’s time to part ways for the evening, she finds that she’s sad to leave him. 

He’s been nothing but a gentleman all evening and by the way he’s looking at her, she can tell he’s holding back. So it doesn’t come as much of a surprise when he kisses her on the cheek instead of where she’d really like him to. 

“I had a great night, Regina.” His hands move down her arms and fingers tangle with hers lightly. “I truly don’t know what possessed me to walk into that restaurant tonight. So many things could have gone wrong with that decision.” He laughs. “But I’m so glad I did. And I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.”

She giggles- something she rarely ever does. “Thank you for not only making this evening bearable, but for making it pleasant.” And in that moment, she decides she’s going to take a risk. He made a bold move, joining her for dinner in the first place. It’s her turn to surprise him. 

Letting one of his hands go, she quickly moves it to his cheek and guides him to her. Standing up a little taller, she kisses him. It’s nothing extravagant, in fact it’s a perfectly acceptable first kiss. They’ve both established that PDA isn’t their thing and they are in public still. But even with its simplicity, she enjoys it. 

And judging by the way his arms wrap around her waist and he pulls her closer, she can tell he does too. 

When they pull away from each other, their smiles mirror one another. And with one lingering glance, she drops his hand and steps onto the subway. “Goodnight, Robin.” 

—————

Sometimes all a couple needs is a little push. When she’d seen Regina sitting alone on Valentine’s Day, she knew she needed to do something. She had no clue what but she was going to fix it. 

The wine was just a starter, something to buy her time and ease the worry she’d seen on the brunettes face. 

Then she didn’t need to do anything else after all. A handsome stranger had appeared to save the day. And he _was_ a stranger. All her time waitressing made her pretty good at studying people. That, and she had a tendency to ease drop when the opportunity presented itself. 

So, when she’d heard Robin’s admission, she was swooning and her desire to play matchmaker only increased. 

She’d given them more privacy then she normally would and made sure to throw in the word ‘couple’ as many times as she could. Even if they had just met, she could tell that the two of them would work. 

And when their evening ended and they left her table, she had to admit that she’d never been more sad to see someone leave. She’d gotten to watch the beginning of a great love story unfold in front of her eyes and now she’d never know the ending. 

Perhaps it was better that way. She’s always been a bit of a dreamer. 

But still, she’d wondered. 

Until nearly a year later, that is. 

It was the beginning of the new year again and the air was chilly. She’d just gotten into work, tying the uniform black apron around her waist tightly when the manager walked in to let her know that a reservation had been made and they requested her as their waitress. 

It wasn’t an uncommon thing. They had quite a few regulars. “Who is it?”

The manager shrugged. “Someone new, name doesn’t ring a bell. Reservation is for six, table 23.”

“Got it.” The blonde woman smiles. Regardless of who it was, it was always nice to see a familiar face. And if they’d requested her, she must have made an impression. 

She was in the middle of taking an order at one of her tables when she saw them walk in and she nearly dropped her pen on the floor. She’d never forget them. 

Politely excusing herself- after she’s taken her current tables order of course- she walks right over to the couple that left her wondering months ago. The man is just sitting down after helping his date out of her coat and pulling her chair out. And they both look up at her at the same time. 

All three of them share matching smiles. 

“I never thought I’d see the two of you again.”

They both laugh. “Ah.. so you remember us then.” The way he says it is less of a question and more of a statement. 

“Of course.” Tink nods. “You left a pretty hefty tip and… your story is one that’s hard to forget. You’re together now?”

Regina looks up at the girl and tilts her head curiously. “Our story?”

Tink shrugs. “I listen to things I probably shouldn’t.” She blushes slightly. “I know that he was not your intended date that night. But you’re together now?” 

She can see the couple in front of her exchange a look with wide eyes and she smiles. 

“We are.” Regina reaches across the table and tangled her fingers with those of her fiancé. 

“You have no idea how happy I am to hear that!” The blonde practically beams when she spots the ring on her finger. “Could they not fit you in on the fourteenth, I can pull some strings-“

“That won’t be necessary but thank you.” Robin chuckles. “We felt our engagement should be celebrated where we met but for our anniversary, we’re staying in.” He smiles at each of the women in front of him. “After all, neither of us are really fond of Valentine’s Day.”


End file.
